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Topic: AVL Reliability at Cruising Speeds (Read 1702 times)

Hi, sorry for asking this question, seems to be a lot of discussion on the topic. Love the looks of the AVL engine versus the UCE and have a beauty in my sights. However, I will be using it to commute to work as well as weekend rides around the country side. I can handle routine fixes and maintenance but am looking to reliably run it daily at 60-65 mph during my commute. Will a well maintained AVL (looking at a 2007) hold up or should I loose some looks and go with the UCE? Thanks--Ken

My AVL likes to cruise at 55-60 mph. I have been at speeds of 75 mph in a burstYes, the AVL is very dependable I would not want to maintain speeds above 65 mph long term. 65 mph would be on the edge of the envolope for long high way rides.

Hi, sorry for asking this question, seems to be a lot of discussion on the topic. Love the looks of the AVL engine versus the UCE and have a beauty in my sights. However, I will be using it to commute to work as well as weekend rides around the country side. I can handle routine fixes and maintenance but am looking to reliably run it daily at 60-65 mph during my commute. Will a well maintained AVL (looking at a 2007) hold up or should I loose some looks and go with the UCE? Thanks--Ken

I commute as well on my 06 AVL. The bike really likes 60mph. It's very comfortable. 65 no worries in my opinion. Won't go much above that for extended time period.

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Suppose I were an idiot, and suppose I were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself. ... Mark Twain2006 AVL Electra

Head says UCE/EFI as it's a current model, heart says AVL based on personal experience (and a cry from somewhere deep down in my soul says 1960 Redditch-built Fury, but we'll ignore that for now ).

At the moment all the things most likely to go bang on an Electra-X or AVL Classic can be fixed, i.e. sprag clutches and cam followers, some UK owners have had the big end bearings fail, but if you have a good one you will love it. Bill Harris has just posted about his, which has reached 35,000 miles, so the factory must have been doing something right with them. That said, beware the odd lemon among the peaches, but if the one you're considering has been chugging around quite happily for the last seven years then anything majorly wrong with it should have come to light by now.

Cruising speed depends on what state of tune they're in, but with a good aftermarket carb, unrestricted down-pipe and sporty (but not too open) muffler you will be happy with the result. For town/city riding, if that features in your commuting, drop the counter-shaft sprocket from 18 to 17 teeth, which gives a more responsive bike with little or no drop in top speed. What would your daily mileage be?

straffordrtI'm guessing you meant to say "iron-barrel" rather than "iron-head". All of the Bullets have aluminum heads but the cylinder body can be either iron or aluminum.

The AVL has a sleeved aluminum cylinder so much of the overheating problem at faster speeds do not happen.The iron barrel on the other hand can't remove heat as well so the max sustained speed is more in the 50-55 mph area.

Because someone could paint a iron barrel cylinder with aluminum paint for whatever reason it's best to look elsewhere to see if the engine is a AVL Lean Burn or a older iron barrel.The most obvious difference is the overhead valve covers.If the bottom surface of each cover is running parallel with the ground, it is an iron barrel.If the bottom surface of each cover is running at a 45 degree angle to the ground, it is a AVL.

So is the general concensus among AVL owners that 60-65mph for extended periodsis safe for a stock motor? Since the compression release isnt really that (isnt it more of a compression preventer?) How useful is it in getting past TDC?

If it's an AVL, it's not an iron barrel. It should easily 65 mph cruising. The "Compression release" if it's an automatic one will keep the valve open while kicking it,so it's easy enough to push the piston over TDC. This is the downfall of the automatic releases. Since the compression is lower, it makes the bike harder to start. I was about to put a manual compression release on my G5 just to improve the kick starting. I could always start spinning the starter with the lever pulled then release it for the start. That would save the sprag. Bare

So is the general concensus among AVL owners that 60-65mph for extended periodsis safe for a stock motor? Since the compression release isnt really that (isnt it more of a compression preventer?) How useful is it in getting past TDC?

It's absolutely of no use at all as a kick start aid like the old ones. The only thing they're good for is killing the engine. Always. Never kill the engine with the key.

Since the compression release isnt really that (isnt it more of a compression preventer?) How useful is it in getting past TDC?

It would be easy to add a de compressor/compression release or a second spark plug to the AVL head. They were all cast with two plug bosses. Only the Twin Spark models made for the Indian Domestic Market were drilled and threaded for dual plugs. The overwhelming majority were only drilled for one. The second boss is still there waiting to be used if one desired to do so.

All that said; Bill Harris deleted the tappet lifter/de compressor bits from his AVL scrambler and has no problem getting past TDC. It's just technique.

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I can break it better,,,,at night, in the rain, on the trail,, 20 miles from nowhere.

REA #136

"TIMEX", the '06 Iron Barrel Military that takes me everywhere I want to go... and some places I shouldn't.

there's a bit more work than that on the AVL head as some of the fins have to go, the 2nd boss must be a feature on the UCE head. But it's still well worth doing on the AVL head, though for riding in hotter climates you might want to keep more of the fins than I did.